This invention relates to a body fluid absorbent panel used for a sanitary wearing article such as a disposable diaper, a sanitary napkin or a liquid-absorbent pad for an incontinent patient.
Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 1993-253259A describes a disposable diaper including between a liquid-pervious topsheet and a liquid-impervious backsheet a panel serving to absorb and to hold excretion discharged on this diaper wherein the panel has a plurality of openings extending through the panel in a direction of its thick direction. In this diaper of prior art, excretion discharged thereon is received by the openings and then absorbed by the panel. This arrangement is claimed to be effective to avoid an anxiety that a certain amount of excretion might stay on the topsheet. The Publication describes an embodiment of the panel comprising a mixture of thermoplastic synthetic resin fibers, fluff pulp and high absorption polymer grains.
The Publication describes intertwinement of the synthetic resin fibers in the panel but no description is found therein that the synthetic resin fibers are hot welded together at contact points thereof. Accordingly, it is impossible for this panel of prior art to restrict a relative movement among these synthetic resin fibers. Consequently, the panel is readily collapsed under a pressure exerted thereon in a direction of its thickness and unable to restore a desired thickness from the collapsed state. Particularly because this panel has a plurality of openings, a resistance against the pressure exerted thereon in the direction of its thickness is correspondingly lower and the panel may be readily collapsed even under a slight pressure exerted thereon.
In addition, this panel of prior art is arranged so that the high absorption polymer grains are merely held in fiber interstices of the synthetic resin fibers and the fluff pulp. As a result, the polymer grains may be disengaged from the fiber interstices of the synthetic resin fibers and the fluff pulp and fall off from the panel as the panel is collapsed.